A STORMING second-half fightback from Loughborough University’s 1st XV saw them clinch the BUCS Championship against UWIC at a sun-drenched Twickenham.

Trailing by 10 towards the end of the first half, Dave Morris’s side racked up three tries to just two penalties by the Welsh side to ensure the title was back in Loughborough hands for the first time since 2006.

UWIC had the upper hand in the opening half, scoring the first try on 16 minutes through fly-half Simon Humberstone after Matt Keville and Humberstone had traded penalties.

Humberstone sent his side further ahead with two more penalties as his forwards’ pressure forced Loughborough into offences at the breakdown.

As the first half moved into added time the Cardiff outfit looked to have dealt a hammer blow with a well-worked try for wing Alex Carlton-Porter, but there was a sting in the tail before the half-time whistle when UWIC lock Richard Mountford was sent to the sin-bin and Keville slotted a penalty to reduce the arrears.

With the UWIC pack depowered, Loughborough’s forwards took full advantage at the start of the second half as they rumbled up to the line for Dave Hughes to crash over and bring them within three.

Keville missed with the conversion and the penalty attempt that followed, but he unleashed his backs two minutes later, feeding full-back Russell Weir who found Kristian Cook outside him to skate over untroubled and send Loughborough into the lead for the first time.

Another Humberstone penalty narrowed the lead to one but, with the Loughborough pack now in the ascendancy, they opted for a lineout five metres from the UWIC line, setting the perfect platform for openside Jamie Cullen to burrow over.

Keville nailed the conversion before UWIC replacement Josh Leach kicked a penalty to fray Loughborough nerves in a lengthy injury time period, but Keville was given another chance to seal victory in the 86th minute, which he gleefully accepted to complete a pulsating win for a deserving Loughborough team.

The result rounded off the perfect day for the men’s rugby club, whose 2nd XV beat their UWIC counterparts 25-23 at Richmond’s Athletic Ground thanks to a last minute try from Ed Rolston, with the winning conversion hit by George Drake.